The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-01-19
The Good Old Days.


among the settlers away back. all 0fthem
{ born Of necessity. But there we're two
/ that prevailed in Coshocf0n, the county
in which was raised. in the great old
+ State OF Ohio. that seems 10 have
been overlooked or probably entirely
I forgotten One Of them was apple-hutter
/ boiling and the other was fannel-kick-
/ ing. Talk about the fun they bad at ap-
I ple-cutt.ngs, rn-husking>quiltiHgs etc,
{ but for genuine. uproJriols fun flannel
7 kicking would knock them an out in one
round. Every new house had its OLD one
which was left standing. generally in
I close proximity 10 the new. which was
used for all manner Of purposes. The
old-Eishioled loom. which almost every
thrifty farmer possessed was st up there.
The big broad fire place. five orsix feet
wide with its big crane on whieh 10
hang heavy kettles and pots. was always
in order. and was used when boiling the
apple butter, q large copper kettle always
being used for the purpose But few
fImiIies could afford the luxury Of large
copper kettle. consequently one served a
large neighborhood. going the rounds
apple-butter season.
The log house was usually but ore large
room. II took two couples TO boil apple
butter-alwsys two fellows with their
best girls. II required constant stirring
and a board about FIVE inches wide by
about two feet long. with holes bored
through IL. and hanlle about four feet
long. 80 lat the fellow AMI his best girl
could handle il easily. While they stir
rel the other couple were having d most
delightful time otf in one corner Of the
room. there oejn- no light except dim,
religious one from the Ere. OF course.
they changed places quite frequently, for
the couple al the handle could not en-
dure that kind Of thing any great length
Of time, knowing what a high old time
the other couple were having away Oft in
the corner. They were being deprived
Of their opportunities. This thing usual
Is lasted all night, and as a rule the little
party were not interrupted bp neddlers
and they had bli-Sful season free from
the rude glze ofany one.
But the crowning glory. the boss fun,
was the HanneI-kicking A. have be-
fore stated. almost every old house had
its loom. on which the women wove
fanneIs-linsey wool-ey. cas-inets. and
linen. I sigh for the day- when I used
70 wear this homemade linen. Pillow
slips sheets. shirts. pants. and short-tail-
ell roundabouts all made of the same
piece Of goods There were no long
tailed summer coats in those day> This
linen was stout and if a hoy, or even
eood-sized man. caught the seat of his
pants on splinter in climbing a rail-
fence OF on nail he hung there. II
would hold him every time.
The flannel was usually woven in
webs, or pieces of thirty or forty wards.
and Of coufse ii had to be fulled before it
was in proper condition to be made up
I into garments. Pulling mills were
thing almost unheard Of IN that country
at that time, and some Way must De De-
vised 10 thicken up OF full the flannel,
and they did il to perfection. have at-
tended many kicking and my recol-
lection Of them i as valid Is If it had &C.
.sttr-s-.1 bs,r "a v-arr ae,5
The boys and girls Of the neisbor-
hood-which took in a range # several
mileS-were notified that on a certain
evening they were going to have q fan
mel kicking and it needed no urging 10
gather in enough 10 make up a party
The flannel vas placed in a loose pile in
! the middle of the tioor-usually in tina.
same old log house-chairs were placed
around it, forming a complete circle The
boys and girls filled the chairs. and thcr
Plow line or rope Wa, passed around
the outside Of the chairs. drawn through
the backs. 20 hold them IT, position OF
T course the performers an faced towards
the flannel The boys. with their trou,-
ers rolled mp above their knees and the
+ girIs-weIl girls in those days were not
incumbered aith Is much undertJggery
- they wearnoW-
+ SOapsuds-as hot as the operators
7 could possibly bear it-were then poured
on the flannel, and then the fun COM
menced in dead earnest. every one kick
ing the pile Of flannel for dear life the
boys laughing and yelling. the girls
screaming and the so0P~uds Spirting up
and ont in reckless poriigdIity. When
the suds became absorbed and be.an t.
cool, more hot suds was poHrei on, and
then a fresh ont barst OF kicking and
( spirtius, laughing and Streaming began,
their feet and legs looking ~ rel as boil
F ed lohsters.
/ This usually lasted about three hours.
the old folks pouring on the hot >oapsud~
and looking on and enjoying the thing
I about as much a. the younger ones It
was rare fun. and the writer Of this arti-
/ Gle remembers IL better than almost anv-
/ thing else IN the way OF parties in his
young days Of course the work was not
/ 20 we'll done as il i n)w4iays in the mills.
but il answered the purpose, and every
body was satisfied with H. Alas, for the
! DAYS that win never come back. the davs
when all these customs prevailed in
| Coshocton County"